11-13. Date (2)
Satou's here. I completely don't remember the field study of my schooldays era, but I remember well the field study at the beer factory, and the semi-conductor factory during the time when I was a working adult.
The depth of fascination really is different for things that interest you.
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After we're done eating, per Zena-san's wish, we're going to look around shops specialized for explorers.
I ask the carriage to wait on the entrance to the arm street, and then we march there on feet.
Many craftsmen are making Maces and Bone Hammers made from monster materials on the joint establishment located beside the weapon shop.
Although it's probably for the sake of efficiency, please stop piling up the unprocessed materials on places that can be seen from the street.
"Aren't these corpses of monsters?"
"That's right. However, I think it'd be better to call it materials rather than corpses."
Since I sensed that the air among the craftsmen became unsettling with Zena-san's nonchalant word, I'm correcting her in low voice.
Zena-san who realized that she had a verbal slip apologizes toward the craftsmen while lowering head.
It's very like Zena-san to act like a good young lady like this, but it seems the craftsmen didn't expect her to lower her head to them, after getting taken aback, they accepts the apology, saying [Don't mind it.] brusquely.
There are a lot of arms made from monster materials that are processed without change around this area.
Shops that produce pseudo-magic swords with alchemy are doing their works indoor or in their courtyard to prevent people stealing the technique.
I've guided Zena-san to a shop that deals with such pseudo-magic swords.
"The shops here look grand."
"That's because they're the foremost weapon and magic tools shops-joint in the labyrinth city."
The weapons that are sold here is 10 gold coin much at the lowest, so average explorers don't quite go to the luxury shops here.
However, quality-wise, they're undoubtedly the finest in the labyrinth city, so I'm thinking of making Zena-san known to the shopkeepers.
Although it's probably going to be awhile before she can buy here, but since the Seryuu Selected Corps are excellent, it should be not long before they're coming here to have transactions.
When I enter the shop while escorting Zena-san, several sociable female shopkeepers energetically greet us, "Welcome", together at once.
I urge Zena-san who greets them back after being lured by their vigor, and go on to check on the displayed weapons and armors.
There are around 10 display stands in the excessively spacious shop interior, each of the stands have two shopkeepers without exception.
Those women are former explorers, and it seems they're not only here to be shop assistants, but also as guards for the commodity.
I've seen many times the case where a guest tried to touch the neat and trim female shopkeeper's butt only for her to twist their wrist while smiling brightly.
Putting that aside, I walk on, guiding Zena-san toward one of the display stand.
"This is a dagger made from the crystal horn of the Dread Beast, Crystal Dagger."
"It's beautiful."
Zena-san who saw the crystal dagger shown by the shopkeeper breathed out a sight of admiration.
This is a weapon made from horn of the triceratops-like monster I saw when I was exterminating the lost thieves.
It can produce electricity that paralyze enemies like a stun-gun if you fill it with magic power.
Zena-san is probably charmed by its jewel-like appearance though.
"If that interests honored guest, please try holding them if you would."
Encouraged by the female shopkeeper, Zena-san timidly takes the dagger.
Zena-san holds the dagger while looking a bit excited, but then she looks like she notices something and puts the dagger back to the stand while looking pale.
Hm?
"Was there something wrong?"
"T-the price tag."
Zena-san whispers to my ear in low voice.
While feeling slightly ticklish, I look at the dagger on the stand, it has the price tag of [120 gold coins].
It wasn't like this before though.
Furthermore, that's three times the market price.
When I ask the female shopkeeper, turns out it's not a sudden price hike, but it's priced to be sold to merchants who come from outside the city.
The price is clearly exorbitant, but sometimes there are merchants who still buy it at this price.
"If it isn't Chevalier Pendragon-sama. Welcome to our humble store."
The middle-aged shop manager comes out of the back and greets me while nodding to his other regular customers.
He's been a sociable person ever since he was introduced to me by Baronet Dyukeli, but the reason why he gave such a grand welcome is because I've lend a hand on reproducing the recipe to make this crystal dagger.
Of course, I didn't directly give the recipe, but pretended to give the hint by coincidence.
Leaving that aside, as I've wanted, I make Zena-san's face known, bring her to tour the workshops, and have the craftsmen teach her the way to strip materials from monster in order to sell them high.
While waiting for Zena-san who's writing a memo about the way to strip materials with serious face, I go to see the manager-shi who's standing beside another craftsman making a pseudo-magic sword's blade made from [<>]'s material.
"It comes out well. Chevalier-sama, would you like to try it?"
"Yes, if you allow me to."
I take the sword manager-shi's presented to me.
The grip hasn't been made yet, but there's no problem in holding it since I'm not going to slash thing with it.
I put magic power into the blade.
Looks like it's not made well, I feel some resistance when I'm putting magic power into the great sword. I feel that it's stuck halfway through.
I concentrate at the place where the magic power is stuck, and then wring my magic power like a needle, operating it to expand on the path.
Normally it'd take a long time for the user to familiarize themselves, but I guess it's fine since it's not something that other people can notice.
I'm being careful since the blade will break and magic edge will be generated if I put too much magic power into it.
After 10 seconds, faint red light appears on the surface of the blade.
"As expected of Chevalier-sama. To infuse magic power into a magic sword that you've held for the first time!"
Manager-shi flatters me, but anyone should be able to do this much right?
All of our vanguards can commonly do it, even Lulu and Mia can do it after taking some time.
Zena-san raises her face when she hears manager-shi's praising voice, and leaks a surprised sound when she she see the magic-coated blade.
"Satou-san. Is that possibly magic edge?!"
"No, this isn't."
Although it seems she's misunderstood, so I correct it.
"It's not magic edge, but you can make red light appear on the blade of a magic sword made from monster materials if you pour it with magic power."
"It looks beautiful."
"Yes, however it's not just the look, when it's like this, it can give damage to substance-less monsters, and it won't be damaged by attacks of monster that use acid and decomposition breath. It's quite useful if you're engaging in series of battle inside the labyrinth."
I explained it with an all-knowing look toward Zena-san, but I heard this trivia from the roach-raid leader from before, Koshin-shi.
Without Item Box skill and a magic bags, bringing multiple weapons to the labyrinth is too inefficient, so people value this ability more than simple offensive power.
I put out the magic power from the blade and give it back to the manager.
For some reason, he praised me, "As expected of a Mithril Plate explorer", but I've heard this trivia from Koshin-shi, a Bronze Plate holder.
Since the craftsman looks like he wants to discuss the blade with manager-shi, I read the mood and leave the shop behind.
◇
We leave the arm shop street, and go to the street where alchemy and magic items are lined up.
There are a lot of small shops that sell consumable goods here, so there are a lot of explorers here compared to the arm shop street earlier.
I make Zena-san's face known to the shopkeepers while teaching her the market price of goods such as magic potions and ointments, and bargain items on each shop.
I know a lot of shopkeepers here introduced by Baronet Dyukeli during the banquet, so my aim is to get them understand that she is my acquaintance, reducing the risk of them selling her some weird item.
"It's cute. I wonder what is this accessory?"
"Well now? I wonder what is it."
Zena-san is holding a ball-sized magic item in a certain fancy goods shop.
Just as the color indicated, it's a lewd tool, so I suitably dodge the question.
The female shopkeeper approached Zena-san who was going to return the tool to the shelf, and then she whispered to her ear the kind of tool that was.
Zena-san who's become red, quickly returns the tool to the shelf like she held hot-iron.
Then she seizes my arm and runs away from the shop as fast as she can.
Still, I didn't know that there were such magic tools.
Looks like people still do what they do even when the world changes.
We're striding the street until Zena-san calms down, she finally does after we stop and drink some tea near the west guild.
This shop has sweet baked cake and blue tea.
I've been recommended this shop by the female staffs of the west guild.
Today it seems they don't hang the cloth for warding sunlight on the open terrace since the sunlight is weak today.
There are no sands in the wind since it's blowing toward the desert, so we're having some tea on the open terrace.
"The fruit water from before was good, but this blue tea is also nice."
"That's because, according to the guilds staff, this seems to be the shop which serves the best blue tea in the labyrinth city."
Some voices interrupted us when we were having such conversations.
◇
"It really was master's smell nodesu!"
"There's Zena too~"
Pochi and Tama who lean their body on the fence of the cafe's open terrace appeal themselves while swinging their tail.
Liza comes from behind them and then lift them both.
"Master, Zena-sama, please forgive us for disturbing you."
"It's alright."
I give the baked sweets left on the small plate to the two who are being carried under Liza's arms.
"Pochi, Tama, a~n."
"A~n?"
"Nanodesu!"
I decide to act like I didn't see Zena-san opening her mouth a bit when I was turning to her.
Feeding the two little girls is one thing, but doing it to Zena-san who looks like a senior high school student in public is too high of a hurdle.
"Are you done with the labyrinth exploring for today?"
"No, we have finished the work at Area 13, so we retreated to have a break."
Looks like they're working hard.
While leveling-up Lady Karina and the others, Liza is also trailblazing the depopulated Area 13.
It'll be complete after they create safety zones and cull out dangerous monsters that can endanger their hunt.
At the moment, [Pendora] guys are opening it, they're probably going to use it for the Training School's guys after the monster number has decreased a bit more.
By opening, it's not because there's a door that prohibit intrusion, they're only going to tell the safe route to Area 13 and distribute map of the safety zones there.
I don't see anyone beside the three beastkin girls, so I confirm it to Liza while rustling Pochi's and Tama's hair.
"Karina-sama and the others are resting in the explorer guild sickbay since their level-up nausea were bad. They should be fine since Nana is with them."
"It's the person who was being carried yesterday right? To have the nausea continues until the next day, maybe it's better if the priest check..."
"Zena-sama, that is not correct. Karina-sama and the others have leveled up again during the exploration today."
I saw Zena-san's surprised face while playing [Look that way] game with Pochi and Tama.
My eyes are chasing the two's fingers since our [Look that way] game adopt the house rule which states that you'd lose if you can't follow the finger.
"W, what kind of drill did you do?"
"We only performed some dozens of battles. We only defeated a bit less than 100 monsters, so it is not enough to be called a drill."
"H-hundred?"
"If Zena-sama is interested, how about training with us once? Is it alright Master?"
Liza suggested so to Zena-san who was at loss.
Thinking about Zena-san's group goal, power-leveling her probably will help guaranteeing her safety.
After confirming whether Zena-san would be a hindrance to them, I approve it since Lady Karina's and her maids' levels are lower than Zena-san's.
Zena-san hesitated for a bit, but it looks like she's decided to go together with Liza and the others to the labyrinth.
I lent the carriage to Zena-san to come back to the lodging estate and take her equipments.
I was going to lend her Lulu's hard newt leather armor since her armor should be destroyed before, but she declined and said that she was going to borrow the leather armor of her magician co-worker.
They're with Nana today, she should be fine even with common armor.
Until she comes back, I continue accompanying Pochi and Tama's [Look that way] game which have accelerated to the speed where an average person won't be able to keep up.